Ontario wine country cleans up after back-to-back storms drop quarter of annual rain in a week

Niagara's wine industry and surrounding communities are in cleanup mode after back-to-back rainstorms flooded homes, farms, and wineries across the region. The storms, hitting on July 27-28 and again on August 2, delivered roughly a quarter of the region's typical annual precipitation in less than a week.

Parts of Zabek Vineyards in Niagara-on-the-Lake remained underwater after the deluge. "My dad's 70 years old, and he has never witnessed the amount of rain that we've gotten since he's been farming," said James Zabek, president and owner. The vineyard's underground drainage system—pipes running beneath vine rows that feed to roadside ditches—was overwhelmed. "Flooded, absolutely flooded, especially in our low spots. The ditches can't seem to keep up with the amount of water that we've been getting," Zabek said.

Thousands of homes and businesses across the region were inundated. St. Catharines and the town of Lincoln both declared states of emergency. Ontario Premier Doug Ford visited Wednesday to meet with affected mayors, sharing on social media that he heard "directly from workers and community members impacted by the recent flooding."

St. Catharines Mayor Mat Siscoe, who has been critical of provincial and federal response, said he was encouraged by Ford's visit but frustrated by delays. "The biggest frustration is that it seems to take way too long to get the actual boots on the ground," he said.

A provincial spokesperson said Ontario is assessing the floods against eligibility requirements for its disaster recovery program. At Hidden Bench Estate Winery, three to four feet of water inundated some vineyard sections, though its position on a slope along the Niagara Escarpment allowed most water to clear. "I don't think you can prepare for the amount of rain that was received in the area," said vigneron Harald Thiel. "I do think, however, that infrastructure needs to be adapted to the new reality of climate change."

For Malivoire Wine Company, most damage was to buildings rather than grapes. Water broke a wooden door, displaced an outdoor bar onto the patio, and damaged wine labels, making some bottles unsellable. The floods arrived ahead of harvest season, compounding pressure on an already stretched region.